Ice Cream Sunday
by HeartBreakMystique
Summary: Tumblr Request written for Abby (bloodbagsandbourbon) - Can you write Delena at an ice cream shop and Damon smashes his cone into Elena's face or something cute like that?


Damon gracefully landed next to Elena's window seat as he casually jumped from the tree outside her house into her bedroom.

He watched her chest rise and fall softly as she continued to sleep soundly, unaware of his presence.

It was like this every Sunday since he'd decided their 5 minute time outs needed to be a weekly occurrence.

She'd protested the first few times. She'd refused to leave her friends and family to deal with 'her problems'.

"How can you think about relaxing when Stefan's still out there, Damon?"

"He sacrificed everything for you and you want to go to the Zoo?!"

"We can't go Bungee jumping, Damon! Stefan's still ripping people's heads off! We need to find him, not jump off of buildings!"

He'd argued that what was happening with Stefan was exactly the reason they needed their time outs. He could see her steadily falling apart. He watched her struggle to live her life whilst constantly on the alert for any hint of his brother.

She'd lost weight, she was shutting people out, she was withdrawing from life and dammit if he was going to let her wallow about Stefan for the rest of her existence.

So he'd come up with their new Sunday ritual.

He'd sneak into her bedroom at ridiculously early times in the morning (sometimes even late Saturday night depending on what he had planned) and he'd let her argue and protest whilst he packed before bundling her into the front passenger seat of his camaro and speeding off on their next road trip.

And every Sunday, right before he pulled away from the curb in front of her house, she'd smile, just a tiny quirk of the lips. It would be gone before she thought he'd noticed, but it was there.

He knew she secretly loved Sundays. It was the one day she could just be Elena. No one would look at her with pity because she'd lost Stefan. No one would judge her or baby her or walk on eggshells around her afraid to say the wrong thing. She could just…be.

Damon never told her that he needed their time outs as much as she did. He suspected she already knew this since she allowed him to drag her along.

If she truly didn't want to go he knew she'd put up more of a fight.

He crossed the bedroom towards what she had deemed 'his side of the bed'. He'd been spending more time in her bedroom than he had at the boarding house lately.

She'd told Ric & Jeremy that she thought he should stay here instead of the boarding house because it was safer, both for Damon and them.

Anyone could walk into the boarding house and kill Damon before he could get help she'd argued.

Only Katherine & Stefan could enter her house and if either showed up she'd need Damon for protection anyway so it was logical that he move in for a while.

She'd promised Ric he'd sleep on the couch and Damon had intended to do just that. He'd poured his best bourbon, gotten comfy with one of the spare duvet sets and hunkered down to keep watch. He'd been steadily dosing off to the sound of Elena's heartbeat when it had suddenly spiked and she'd let out a shriek that quite literally woke the dead.

Thinking she was being attacked, he'd ripped off the covers and raced upstairs only to see her thrashing and twisting in fear on top of her covers in her bedroom.

It had taken him a moment to realize she was having a nightmare and it wasn't some new type of invisible supernatural creature come to attack her whilst she slept.

Once he'd understood, he'd walked over to her bed and gently shaken her awake, whispering words of comfort until her eyes had opened, unfocused and blurry with tears.

She'd thrown herself at him, sobbing all over his bare chest. It had stunned him but what surprised him even more was her pulling back, shifting away and throwing back the covers in a clear invitation for him to join her in bed.

He'd complied in a daze and settled down expecting her to lay next to him and fall to sleep. Again, she'd surprised him by curling up on his chest as soon as he had settled.

She'd whispered good night then fallen asleep with her head tucked beneath his chin and her small, warm hand resting over his long dead heart.

It had taken him ages to relax. He'd been convinced that she would wake up as soon as he fell to sleep and attack him for the liberties he was sure she'd accuse him of taking with her.

They'd woken up in the same position the next morning and he'd braced himself for a tirade that never came. Instead he was greeted with a warm, shy smile and a lazy kiss to his jaw before she'd blushed, untangled her limbs from his and moved to the bathroom to get ready for the day.

He was still reeling from the shock of her kiss when she had walked back in, fully dressed, beckoning him to come downstairs and help make breakfast.

He'd recovered swiftly and decided she was either too tired to talk about what had happened or it was just going to be another one of their moments that was never brought up again.

Deciding it would most likely be the latter, he'd flashed her a grin, gotten out of bed and sauntered past her all the while wriggling his eyebrows smugly as he heard her breath hitch and saw her eyes roam over the flat, toned expanse of his chest.

They'd spent the day with Ric & Jeremy, watching movies, eating junk food and teasing each other mercilessly. It was one of the best days Damon had ever had and it had been as Elena's eyes had locked with his, alight with laughter at another one of his jokes and more carefree than he'd seen her look in months, that he'd decided it needed to be at least a weekly occurrence that he'd get her to smile like that.

So, at the end of the day he'd already had their first trip planned out. He was going to tell her before he settled down on the sofa for the night and hopefully she'd agree.

He'd waited for Jeremy & Ric to go to bed then he'd opened his mouth, about to ask her, when she'd grabbed his hand in hers and gently tugged him towards the stairs.

He'd followed her like the sap he was and without words she'd gotten changed in the bathroom as he hovered uncertainly by the door. When she'd emerged she'd cocked her head, amused, and asked if he was planning on sleeping fully clothed.

He'd blinked, unsure, before she'd tugged off his jacket and motioned for him to undress (his heart had almost leaped from his chest at the gesture) then walked towards her bed and climbed into one side, throwing back the covers like the previous night and watching him expectantly.

He wasn't sure what she was doing but he would never turn down the opportunity to have Elena sleep in his arms, so he'd followed her command and joined her once again in her bed.

Just like the previous night she'd snuggled into his chest, hand resting over his heart, whispered a quiet good night and fallen to sleep as if it was the most natural thing in the world for them to be like this.

He hadn't questioned her since then, too afraid to push for answers on what it was and too scared that she'd stop whatever it was that was going on between them.

She touched him more often now. Her eyes lingered on his a beat longer. She was more playful, less reserved and it seemed she had no desire to have him leave her side for longer than the few hours it took him to re-stock his blood supply every week.

All in all Elena Gilbert was becoming less a friend and more…dare he say it…a _girlfriend_ as time went on.

They hadn't kissed. At least, they hadn't kissed each other on the lips. But she'd kiss his cheek or his chin or his neck every morning and he'd kiss her head or her shoulder or her hand right before they went to sleep.

This had all started 3 weeks ago and they still hadn't talked about what was going on. He was determined today though to find out exactly what was going through her head and exactly what she thought this was between them.

He laid down next to her, softly stroking back the wisp of hair that had fallen on to her face as she'd slept.

She sighed quietly in contentment and slowly blinked open her eyes, smiling adorably when she saw him before her.

"Hi." She breathed.

"Hi back." He grinned, shifting slightly closer.

She smiled and shook her head slightly, blushing.

"What time is it?"

"A little after 7."

She groaned and buried her face in his shoulder.

"Why do you insist upon being awake at such ridiculous times on a Sunday!? You do know Sunday is supposed to be a day of rest, right?" Elena grumbled.

Damon chuckled and kissed the top of her head before springing off of the bed and sighing dramatically.

"Must we have this conversation every Sunday, Elena? If it didn't take you so long to pack we could leave a lot later and you could sleep longer."

"Well come back to bed then because I packed last night." Elena mumbled, her face buried in the cushion he'd just vacated.

Damon froze, shocked once again at her casual referral to him sleeping with her. He shook his head and rolled his eyes. Why was she so infuriatingly unreadable?

"What changed? You've never packed in advanced before." He was curious as to why she seemed to be even more accepting of his plans now.

Elena shrugged and got up from the bed, picking up some clothes from her vanity chair and heading towards the bathroom.

"I decided there was no point fighting you anymore." She smiled, closing the bathroom door and beginning to get changed.

He knew she was referring to her unwillingness to leave without resistance but some nagging voice in his head told him she wasn't just talking about fighting him over the trip. Maybe she was talking about fighting _him_.

His thoughts cleared as she exited the bathroom.

"Ready?"

"Huh…yeah, sure, let's go." He led the way down the stairs and out of the front door, walking silently towards his car.

They didn't speak until he passed the sign informing them that they were leaving Mystic Falls.

"Where are we going this time?" Elena asked, fiddling with the radio.

"It's a surprise." Damon answered, slapping her hand gently and switching the radio back to it's original station.

Elena huffed and stuck her tongue out at him. He threw his head back in laughter. She was cute when she was annoyed.

They bantered and bickered the rest of the way there, mock arguing over their favourite songs and movies and which places they'd visit if they could leave for more than a day.

"I'd go to Rome or Paris. Or maybe even Venice." Elena smiled.

"Ugh, I suppose you'd want to visit all the clichéd tourist-y places too?" Damon shuddered.

"Hey, quit raining on my parade." Elena smacked his arm irritated.

"What? They're great cities but you need to know the right places to go." He smirked.

"Oh, and I suppose you know these 'right places'?" She sighed exasperated.

"Obviously." He mocked, shrugging his shoulders and fighting the urge to laugh at how wound up she was getting.

"I'll take you someday." He said quietly.

Elena smiled slightly.

"I'd like that."

"I would too." Damon replied, locking eyes with her as they pulled into a car park.

Elena blinked as the engine shut off, breaking their eye contact and blushing furiously.

"We're here." Damon announced, stepping out of the car.

"And where exactly is here?" Elena asked, looking around uncertainly.

It was bright and warm and everywhere she looked there were shops just opening, early customers milling around aimlessly.

"It's a little seaside town, I suppose. We're going on a boat trip." He grinned and for a moment he looked like a 5 year old, giddy and excited, ready to run off and start getting into trouble.

"I've never been on a boat before." Elena said.

"You have a lake house. How have you not been boating before?" Damon asked, surprised.

"It always made me nervous. I watched Jeremy and my Dad from the pier with my Mom. It looked fun but I never joined them." Her eyes glazed over slightly as she flashed back to her childhood summers before her parents died.

Damon reached for her hand and interlinked his fingers with hers. He squeezed it gently in reassurance, locking gazes with her once more and sending her a small understanding smile.

Elena smiled and squeezed back.

"Come on. They do the best ice cream here." He chuckled.

They crossed the car park and made their way down several winding streets. They walked, hands still intertwined, in comfortable silence, shooting the occasional glance at each other, smiling like fools when they caught the other looking.

Damon tugged slightly on Elena's hand and jerked his head towards a small shop tucked away right on the corner of the street, almost unnoticeable.

He led the way as they opened the door and walked through the entrance, Elena's eyes lighting up in glee when she took in all the bright colours and delicious smells ingrained into every corner of the shop.

"Wow." She breathed, awestruck.

Damon just smiled and walked towards the counter, Elena following eagerly behind him.

An elderly man stood behind the counter looking at them wistfully.

"Can I help you?" The man asked.

Damon scanned the menu above his head for a second before smirking and replying cheekily, "We'd like two double coned ice creams, please." He leaned forward slightly before mock whispering, "She has a bit of an appetite today."

Elena blushed furiously, released his hand and smacked him on the head, shouting an indignant, "Damon!", as the old man chuckled and Damon shrugged.

"Ah," the old man smiled again. "And what flavours would the lady like?" He asked gently, gesturing towards the huge array in front of him.

She deliberated for a moment as she read all the different flavours and combinations.

"I'd like Mint Choc Chip and Cherry Garcia, please?" Elena replied, shooting Damon a look as if daring him to say something about her choices.

Damon just laughed quietly and slung his arm around her shoulders. "I'll have the Rocky Road and the Caramel Indulgence, thanks." Damon wiggled his eyebrows suggestively at Elena as she rolled her eyes and attempted to keep a straight face. The way he'd said 'Indulgence' had shot a bolt of liquid lust straight to her core.

He couldn't even say an ice cream flavour without turning it into some lewd sexual reference.

The old man watched them curiously as he made up their orders. They bickered quietly, mock hitting each other every time one or the other said something dirty.

The old man smiled once more. He may be old but he certainly wasn't deaf.

He placed their finished cones in the counters tray and started punching the order into the till.

"You two make quite a couple if you don't mind me saying." His eyes took on a pained acceptance. "You remind me of myself and my wife."

"Does your wife work here too?" Elena asked glancing around to see if she was in the back.

"No. She died a few years ago. Cancer. This ice cream parlour was her pride and joy. She used to hand out free ice cream to the little kids on the really hot days. Grace loved this place." His eyes became slightly watery as he cleared his throat finishing typing up their order.

"I'm sorry you lost her." Elena replied sincerely.

"It's okay. We had a lot of good years. You two have all that ahead of you. Don't waste a single second of it. I can tell you'll go far. You look at each other like we used to do. And I'm sure you fight like we used to too." He chuckled in remembrance.

Elena exchanged a watery smile with Damon and Damon felt his heart lurch in response. His love for her was beyond anything he'd ever felt and thinking about the possibility of having future moments with her made him want to fall to his knees.

"Just don't ever walk away. Most fights are stupid, little things. It's pride that destroys relationships. Sorry is such a small word to regret when faced with what it can cost." He cleared his throat and shook his head slightly. "But you two don't want to be listening to the ramblings of an old man. The cones are on me. Enjoy the rest of your day." He smiled at them both once more before turning around and walking through the door behind the counter.

Elena took her ice cream cone with a soft "Thank you", as the door closed behind him. She clasped Damon's hand with her free one and leaned into his shoulder as he led them out of the shop, laughing as his cone began to drip.

They walked towards the pier. Damon explained that the boat would be there in 10 minutes ready for them to use.

"So make sure you've finished because silk cushions and spoiled milk are not a good combination." He mock chastised.

"It's not like it's you who'll have to get the stains out anyway." Elena pouted.

"Who's boat do you think it is, Elena?" Damon challenged.

"You're joking? You bought a boat?! We're only here for a day, why would you buy a boat?" Her mouth dropped open in shock.

"Relax. I've had it for a while now. Where'd you think I'd sneak off to every time I needed a break from you lot."

"Knowing you I'd assumed a bar." She raised her eyebrows sardonically.

"You assume too much." He smirked.

They continued eating their ice creams, glancing at each other every few minutes. When Damon caught Elena's eye for the 5th time she stuck out her tongue at him. He smiled predatorily before moving to wrap his arms around her front, standing behind her and tipping her head up slightly.

She smiled at him, confused and opened her mouth to ask what he was doing. Before she could utter a word he'd shoved the remains of his half eaten ice cream into her face.

It dropped to the ground as she spluttered comically, his ice cream making a rather pretty temporary mustache.

Damon doubled over in a fit of hysterics as she stood there glaring at him. She looked so adorably pissed off that Damon couldn't control himself as she attempted to wipe the ice cream from her face.

He was so distracted with laughing that he didn't notice her moving towards him until she was almost next to him.

"What are you doing?", he narrowed his eyes recognizing the playful glee alight in her eyes and took a step back as her face became more and more mischievous by the second. "No. Elena, don't you dare." He raised his hands in surrender, backing up until he was pressed against the railing.

She lunged at him, barreling past his open arms and throwing her ice cream straight into his face. Damon gasped as the cold confectionery dripped down his cheeks and into his mouth.

Elena was giggling madly, fighting to hold back her laughter at the utter shock plastered all over his face.

"Elena." He said menacingly, a chilling smile twisting his features.

"Yes, Damon?" Elena replied, cheekily cocking an eyebrow in challenge.

Just then the boat pulled up behind them. Damon glanced towards the Captain and nodded his head.

If the man was surprised at Damon's appearance he didn't show it and went to work on preparing the boat.

"Game on." Damon whispered, flashing over to Elena and throwing her over his shoulder before making his way back towards the boat and climbing aboard.

"If you get any of that ice cream from your pretty little face onto my jacket let's just say I know what I'll be having for dinner tonight."

Elena gasped and wriggled attempting to break his grip.

"What about dessert?" She whispered back huskily.

Damon's grip tightened and he sucked in a deep breath. She was going to be the second death of him and he didn't even have the urge to prevent it.

* * *

A/N: I have an idea for a second part to this fic featuring the actual boat trip if anyone's interested? It would feature smut so the rating would move to an M :) Let me know! Thanks for reading XD


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